News & Events – tcACCESS Version 6.0 available

Version 6.0 of tcACCESS, the state-of-the-art mainframe integration solution has become available to our customer base. This document will give a brief overview about some of the exciting new features of this new tcACCESS version:

 

Pre-compiled SQL-Statements

Depending upon the task to be processed it may be more efficient to use precompiled SQL-statements. This really depends upon the complexity of the statement. Using the tcACCESS precompile feature, the statement will only be parsed once and structure- and index-information will only be retrieved once. The compiled statement can then be optionally stored and executed any number of times. Benchmark tests have shown that the processing time can be drastically reduced, especially for processings where the compilation time is significantly higher compared to the execution time of the request.

 

ODBC data-source as SQL-Engine table

Version 6.0 provides a new data-server, which allows a direct READ- and WRITE-access to any ODBC data-source residing on a PC- or UNIX-server. The new data-server enables mainframe batch- and online-programs, to directly process data, which is stored on a remote PC- or UNIX-server (i.e. MS SQL-Server or Oracle) and to join this data with any type of mainframe data-source using SQL-syntax (i.e. IMS, DL/I, ADABAS, VSAM etc.). This feature will drastically simplify the bi-directional data-exchange in complex heterogeneous environments.

 

Dynamic access to VSE libraries

The feature allows processing of members in VSE libraries. Libraries can be defined using LIBDEF definitions or can be accessed directly without LIBDEF. Libraries, which are part of CICS-LIBDEF definitions, will be automatically included in the „VSE-Library“-tree of the corresponding host file-dialog. Non-LIBDEF libraries can be accessed using their dataset names or catalog-entries.

 

SSL connectivity for TN3270 and TCP/IP

Both connectivity methods can use a secured SSL connection.

 

Request-Monitor

tcACCESS Version 6.0 now includes a Request-Monitor. The monitor is a Snap-In program for the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). The Request Monitor can be used to monitor the individual connections to tcACCESS and to monitor the individual data-transfers in process. The Monitor displays all active host tasks, i.e. all requests which have been communicated to tcACCESS from individual users. The Request Monitor can be used to pinpoint faulty requests or requests which have been erroneously submitted and to cancel them. 
Cancellation of long-running tasks takes care of the defined host time-out of the client and will automatically terminate and free the connections when the time-out value expires.

 

LE/370-support for the tcACCESS VTAM Monitor

Stored Procedures and Record-Exits, which should be called by the tcACCESS VTAM-Monitor can now be developed in any language supported by the IBM Language Environment LE/370.

 

Force SQL-queries to use key-fields

Option „KEYCHK“ has been introduced to have the SQL-Engine check whether SELECT, UPDATE or DELETE-statements use key-fields in WHERE-conditions. If only fields will be used in the WHERE-conditions, which are non-key-fields, the SQL-statement will be rejected. SQL-statements, which do not have a WHERE-condition, will not be checked.

 

Recovery-Mode for Downloads and SQL-Queries

A special recovery mode allows the restart of incomplete downloads or SQL-queries. If downloads or SQL-queries could not complete because of power-outages or network problems, they can be restarted at a later time and processing will continue at the record, where the error occurred. Data already being transferred will not be transferred again.

 

Wizards

(1) Wizard for the dynamic adaptation and modification of generation parameter

A wizard will be supplied which helps the user to adapt the tcACCESS generation parameter. All active parameter will be displayed together with a description of the parameter. The user can interactively change the parameter and the wizard will save the changes to the Virtual Disk. 
The changes can then be activated during the next tcACCESS start-up or can be activated "on the fly" by using a new tcACCESS command-function.

 

(2) APPC definition wizard

This wizard will interactively lead the user through a series of questions, which finally result in all APPC definitions necessary to connect a batch region or partition with the tcACCESS online system. The wizard is an easy to use application, which helps the user to define all APPC definitions required for VTAM, CICS and tcACCESS.

 

Enhancements to the tcACCESS Java components

The tcACCESS 6.0 JAVA components introduce the JDBC-standards of version 2.0 or 3.0.

The JAVA components support a secured SSL connection. To use the SSL-support requires a JAVA JDK as of version 1.4.

The tcACCESS JAVA Listener can now be started with parameter supplied in a *.INI file. All parameter needed for the Listener process can be included in this file. This allows the parallel start of multiple Listeners on the same machine.

 

Support of data-format „XML“

Version 6.0 of tcACCESS supports the "XML"-data-type for target files. In addition to the creation of XML-files also the schema-files will be created. These XML-files can then be processed by XML-capable applications and databases.

 

ODBC driver for UNIX-Systems

The new tcACCESS ODBC driver provides a SQL-based connectivity to the tcACCESS mainframe-components using standard ODBC managers for UNIX (i.e. iODBC or unixODBC). It is not necessary to install the graphical components of the ODBC-managers.

This document only provides a brief overview and does not reflect all the enhancements to tcACCESS Version 6.

 

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